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U.S. SAYS 6 NATIONS CURB HUMAN RIGHTS

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WASHINGTON, Jan. 1—The State Department, making its first detailed reports on human rights conditions abroad, has found that Argentina, Haiti, Indonesia, Iran, Peru and the Philippines have violated human rights to varying degrees but should nevertheless continue to receive American military support.

The reports, made public tonight by the House International Relations Committee, were submitted by the department at the committee's request. The committee asked for reports on only those six countries as an initial test of compliance with a new Congressional law mandating such human rights reports from the State Department when asked for by any member of Congress.

Last year, Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger refused to comply with an earlier Congressional law requiring a countryby‐country report on human rights violations as a means of judging whether foreign aid should be granted: He argued that such public documents only caused problems with other countries, were unfair to American allies, and did little for human ‘rights.

In the new foreign aid bill the requirement for the human rights reports was stiffened. But at first, the department submitted the requested six reports in a classified form that barred public disclosure, in an apparent effort to reduce embarrassment to the other governments. But the reports were declassified last week when the committee protested.

The reports discuss, in dry and matterof‐fact language, alleged violations of human rights such as torture, prolonged detention without charges or trial, arbitrary arrest, and other denials of the right to life, liberty or the security of the person.

But Representative Donald M. Fraser, Democrat of Minnesota, who was a driving force to secure the reports, said today that the reports “are a lot better than thought they'd be,” although he thought the language was often too soft.

When asked why only those six countries had been singled out and reports not sought on such governments as those of Chile and South Korea, which have been heavily criticized for human rights violations, Mr. Fraser said that the committee wanted information on countries with which it was less familiar.

He said this was only the first request from the State Department and that reports on other nations would be asked for this year.

President‐elect Carter criticized the Ford Administration during his campaign for not paying enough attention to human rights abroad and pledged that his administration would do more.

Few Startling Surprises

But Cyrus R. Vance, his Secretary of State‐designate, has warned that in deal

ing with human rights violations a pragmatic approach must be followed that takes into account American security interests as well.

There are few startling surprises in the reports. Most countries involved have been accused by many organizations in recent years of various violations of Human rights, and many articles have ap‐, peared in the press about them.

‘ Indeed, in an apparent effort to reduce direct American Government involvement in the reports, the State Department often quoted Amnesty International as source, the organization that publicizes allegations of human rights violations against political prisoners.

The State Department made it clear that even though there were violations in the six countries under study, it believed American military aid and military sales should be continued for a variety of reasons.

‘The foreign aid law states that it is the policy of the United States not to provide security assistance to governments that engage in “a consistent pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights,” except in extraordinary circumstances.

What follows is a rundown, in each of the six countries, of the human rights situation as seen by the State Department, with the accompanying recommendation on continued aid.

Argentina

The rights of life, liberty and security of person “are violated regularly” by leftwing and right‐wing terrorists. Both the present and previous government have “reportedly acquiesced in violations attributable to persons associated with the Government.”

The most “notorious” episode occurred last Aug. 30 when 30 leftist prisoners were. executed in Pilar, in retaliation for the murder of a retired general and as a warning to the leftists.

While torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment have riot been a general practice, “such methods are reportedly used by the security forces to extract information from some prisoners, particularly suspected or proven terrorists.”

Subject Raised Repeatedly

The State Department said the subject of human rights “has been raised repeatedly” with Argentina in 1976 and no other subject had been discussed more often with the present Government.

The United States has pressed for access to and improved treatment of political prisoners; concern has been ex pressed over reports of mass murders and indiscriminate killing of political refugees and priests, the need to control vigilante groups, the safety of political refugees, anti‐Semitism, and the need to publish names, bring to trial or release prisoners.

American security assistance for the current fiscal year is $48.4 million in military sales credits and less than $700,000 in direct grants for training.

The department said that assistance should be continued to show “our desire to cooperate militarily with a country which has 1,000 miles of coastline on the South Atlantic.” It also allows the United States “the possibility of improved communication with the Argentine military who have always influenced events in their country and are now the dominant sector.”

Haiti

Noting that Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, has never enjoyed a democratic tradition, the report said that there had been a slow improvement of the political atmosphere since 1971, “with occasional setbacks.” It said that President Jean‐Claude Duvalier had eased political repression and released more than 500 prisoners. “Nonetheless, the Government in Haiti remains basically authoritarian,” it said.

“Detention for extended periods without regard to due process still occurs,” although it was worse under the regime of the current President's father. Such practice now appears limited “to those considered to be serious security risks or violators.”

Citing information from Amnesty International, the report says that Haiti's prisons have “one of the highest mortality rates among prisoners in any country.” But the report says that two prisoners just released had said conditions were “tolerable” for political prisoners now. The report said that In the last two years the United States has pursued its concern for human rights with a wide range of Haitian officials, including the President.

Haitian officials have been told that the United States watches human rights developments, that it recommends a liberal course in this area and that it desires that Haitians deported from the United

States be accorded proper treatment. American military aid was withdrawn 1963 largely because of the situation in the human rights field, and the current small training program was begun in 1975 to help Haitians build up an air and sea rescue force.

“Elimination of the modest United States security assistance program would have no impact on Haitian Government human rights practices,” the report said.

Indonesia

Following the abortive Communist coup in 1965, 500,000 Indonesians were imprisoned, but most of those who were detained have now been released. The report said that the issue might be entirely resolved after the 1977 general elections.

The report raised doubts about the Amnesty International study that said there were still more than 55,000 political prisoners who were arrested in 1965. The total, it said, is closer to 31,000. It said that the Indonesian Government did not practice unlawful killings and that “liberty and security of the person are generally observed.”

It said that torture or cruel and inhuman punishment were not used by the Government or officially tolerated.

“Arbitrary arrests and detentions occur in Indonesia in cases involving national security,” it said. It quotes the Government as saying that the continued detention of 31,000 prisoners was justified.

Trials Not Required by Law

“Under the 1966 emergency powers, detainees need not be brought to trial,” it said.

The report said that American officials had frequently raised the human rights question with Indonesian officials who have maintained that “they must weigh human rights considerations against the background of the 1965 attempted proCommunist coup, as a serious internal security problem.”

The American military aid, about $13 million in grants and $23 million in credits, is based “primarily on a recognition of the strategic importance of Indonesia in Southeast Asia.”

The department said that it was in the interest of regional security and continued good relations with Indonesia “to try to be responsive to Indonesia, particularly at this time when it feels increasingly concerned about its national security”.

Iran

Because of political terrorism, there are 2,800 to 3,000 prisoners who are “sometimes referred to as political prisoners,” the report said. But the total of prisoners confined only for their political views probably comes to only 100 to 150. Most of these have been convicted of Communist activities.

Regarding torture, a frequent charge against Iran, the report said: “While we have no verifiable evidence of the use of torture, one cannot discount the reports, particularly with regard to persons alleged to be involved in terrorist violence, that such methods have been used by the Iranian police and security services.”

“We also have no information that any official has ever been prosecuted for the use of torture,” it said, while noting that “fewer allegations” of torture have been made recently.

“In cases involving state security, terrorism or similar crimes of violence, detention without initial charges does occur and pretrial confinement has been lengthy,” it said.

The department said that in the last two years, American officials have privately discussed human rights with Iranian officials. Public discussion, the report sad, “would put the matter of human rights in confrontational and selfdefeating terms.”

Iran received deliveries on $1.6 billion worth of military purchases in the last fiscal year and expects $1.2 billion in the current one. The department recommended no change in policy since Iran's strength is important to United States interests because of its long border with the Soviet Union, its communications bridge between East and West, its ►role in Persian Gulf security, its role as major source of oil to the United States, Israel and Europe, and as a moderating political force in the area, it said.

Peru

Peru is operating under a state of emergency enacted in July 1976, and since

then “the number of arrests and detentions has increased and there have been unsubstantiated reports of missing persons,” the report said Most of those detained are generally released, however, after interrogation.

Human rights are generally respected, and the Government “does not execute political prisoners nor does it condone flagrant denials of personal security,” said.

The department said that it had emphasized to Peru the United States commitment to human rights, and it recommended keeping the security aid program of $900,000 in grants and up to $18 million in commercial sales and $20 million on credit sales.

“Elimination of the United States security assistance program in Peru would deprive the United States of an important instrument of communication and cooperation with that country,” it said.

Philippines

Since the enactment of the martial‐law decree by President Ferdinand E. Marcos in 1972, any of the human rights can be abridged, the report said. “There have been reports of torture as well as of cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment in the cases of some political detainees,” it said.

The report said that these cases had decreased and seemed to be a result of decisions at a lower level rather than at the top.

“The conditions and atmosphere of martial law, however, may help to nurture the practice of torture,” it added. Since martial law was Instituted, “there have been numerous arrests and detentions of prisoners without charge or trial, in some cases for as long as four years.”

Estimates as to how many people are still in detention vary widely from 500 to 6,000.

Because the Philippines has been one of the closest allies of the United States and because military aid is critical in ensuring access to Clark Air Base and the naval base at Subic Bay, the State Department recommended continuance of the aid program. It said that elimination of the current $40 million program of aid and credits could reduce American ability to influence the Philippines and “adversely affect our security position” in the area.

A version of this archives appears in print on January 2, 1977, on Page 1 of the New York edition with the headline: U.S. SAYS 6 NATIONS CURB HUMAN RIGHTS. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe